The Hot List

The Most Romantic Tables in Town

It might seem like a distant nightmare, but Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. In restaurant
terms, it means that now is the time to secure the best table. And, really, the only thing worthy of Saint
Valentine’s is real estate here...

Start with a few Manhattans in one of the subterranean cocktail nooks tucked behind the bar. Then head
upstairs to #14, a long leather booth overlooking the glowing fire orbs where you and your date can sit
side-by-side or face-to-face—better yet, make it a course-by-course decision.

Why it’s right: Because the allure of a historic smokehouse and meat-processing facility
should not be underestimated...

Dating rule #352: The closer your proximity to fire, the higher the romance quotient. So it follows that the
seats in front of the hearth (under heat lamps warm enough to compete with the surface of the sun) at Saison
would be the way to go.

Why it’s right: Dinner on an outside patio in the middle of February is the good kind of
crazy she’ll appreciate.

Table 20, Venticello

The underdog of romantic tables at this 20-year-old mainstay, #20 is on the top floor, with views over the
tables in the main dining room and out the window to the lights of the Bay Bridge and Oakland in the far
distance.

The banquette along the far wall is covered with mohair. Yes, mohair. But what sets Table 61 apart is its
secluded back-corner orientation that lets both you and your date bask luxuriously in the mohair.

Why it’s right: Rumor has it that their mohair is so coveted they’re going to make
blankets out of it.

There’s really no bad seat at this alleyway restaurant that’s more of a velvet-strewn bordello-esque den
than anything else. But, of the handful of dimly lit tables, this plush corner banquette is the prized
setting for the best kind of side-by-side seating.

Why it’s right: There’s no prix fixe, just the regular menu with specials—and the
Bacon Bon Bons are the new oyster.

This numberless table is just a little more tucked away and a little more romantic than the other
tucked-away, romantic tables in this 46-seater spot. And being that the soft, suede banquette is set below a
skylight, you could literally be dining under the stars.

Why it’s right: Their custom-made porcelain dishes are handcrafted in Korea. You only
dine on Korean china.